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First International Schoo Library Day 18 October 1999

The theme this year was "A Day in the Life..."

In part, this was to draw attention to a special issue of the IASL journal School Libraries Worldwide that has the theme "A Day in the Life..." It also provided a focus for sharing of experiences among colleagues in the field of school librarianship around the world, through this Web site, on the day. One of the aims is to show the richness and variety of school library services in different countries, and the contribution that they make to their schools and communities.

People were invited to join us online on 18 October, by providing a story (any length), an anecdote, a photograph, or a drawing that reflected a day in their life.

Also available on the Web site was Jennifer Branch's story of A Day in My Life... in a school library in Inuvik in the north of Canada. Jennifer's story was written for the special issue of School Libraries Worldwide.

SLAV (the School Library Association of Victoria, Australia) was the first organisation to celebrate a School Libraries Day in October each year.
Thank you, SLAV!

READ "A Day in the Life..." Stories

READ Messages from Friends and Supporters

PROCLAMATION of International School Library Day

SEE "A Night in the Life..." Brisbane, Australia

ISLD Main Page

IASL President, Dr Blanche Woolls Proclaims International School Library Day

As President of the International Association of School Librarianship, I am delighted to proclaim that Monday, Ocober 18, 1999 will be the First International School Library Day and that every third Monday in October from this year on will be International School Library Day. Please join me and the members and friends of IASL around the world in inaugurating this First International School Library Day.

The theme for the 1999 International School Library Day will be "A day in the life...", and it will focus on the many activities and issues that make up the daily life of school library personnel around the world. The day is being organised in conjunction with a special issue of School Libraries Worldwide, the professional journal of IASL. This special issue will also have the theme "A day in the life..." and it will feature stories of their day, written by people involved in school library services in different countries.

International School Library Day will use the IASL Web site, "School Libraries Online", to present stories, anecdotes, photographs, and other material submitted "on the day" by people involved in school librarianship. Members of the Association and colleagues will be invited to read the stories of their colleagues, and to submit their own stories, in words and pictures. The stories might be short or long; they might comment on the submissions of others; they might include reflections on our profession from some the variety of people who work at many levels for the provision of school library programs and services. For example, there might be "A Day in the Life..." of a school librarian in a small rural community in Africa, a library supervisor in a school district in the United States, a school library educator in a Northern European country, or a Ministry official in an Asian country.

We would like you to become involved in this celebration of the work of school libraries on the Web on "School Libraries Online." Check out the Web site and read the story of "A day in my life..." by Jennifer Branch. Think about your own "day" in your school library or other organisation. What kind of activities do you undertake on a typical day? What problems arise? What issues concern you? What gives you a buzz? Then, on International School Library day, check the Web site to see if any new material has been added that you might like to comment on.

Then add your own story for others to read. While the stories for School Libraries Worldwide will be around 2000 words long, on the Web site we will accept anything from a few words (really!) to 2000 words. It is up to you. But rest assured that we do want to hear from you!

You can submit your own story via email, or via a special page on the "School Libraries Online" Web site. You can send any digitised photographs as attachments to email messages. Detailed information to help you to add your story will be provided on the Web site on the day.

Blanche

Last Updated 19 April 2003 (LAC)